THE CALEDONIAN SOCIETY.

Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 102, 27 October 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE CALEDONIAN SOCIETY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sin,— lam lorry to Bee that "Olympuß" has introduced personal abuse iD his reply to my letter. It may be that I was somowliat to blame in not making, my meaning clsar enongb. "Olympus" advocated valuable money prizes, and I therefore referred to him as a type of the " make money, honestly if you oan, but make money athleles. Personally , lean quite believe that '•Olympus" is a perfeotly straight athlete, but my experience has tangbt me that the priaoiple which he advocates is a vicious one. He charges me with ignorance on the subject of athletics. Well, Mr. Editor, all I can say in reply to that is that during 14 years I was never without a running, rowing, or swimming amateur championship. That I was always soratch man in the handicaps, at my own distances, and that I won over one hundred races. He further suggests that I know a good deal about swindling. I am sorry to say that I do know a Rood deal about flwindl ng on the part of othera, but the faot that I never had a protest of any sort entered against mo, that 1 never directly or indireotly betted, and that I was a member of such exolusive clubs as the old Canterbury Amateur Athletio Club, the present club of the same name, the South Canterbury Amateur Athletio Club, the Heathcote, Canterbury, and Union Bowing Clubs, &0., is quite sufficient proof of my athletic reputation. Prior to the formation of the amateur clubs I competed regularly at open sports against both amateurs and professionals, and the amount of swindling on the part of tho money • making professionals which came under my notice, has made me an opponent of money prizes. I have been spiked, jostled, crossed, &0., to prevent my winning, and my experience in this respect is not singular. Nothing of this kind occurred 20 years baok, becanses the prizes were Bmall and bookmaking on athletic sports almost unknown. The increase in the value of money prizes gradually led to tho formation of a class of prof easiona's who travelled roun* to the different meetings to make money, and to ensure doing so tho members of this fraternity and their friends the bookmakers generally agreed beforehand an to who should win. Sometimes the amateurs— that is, the men who ran for the love of the sport and took their prises in plate — npset these arrangements, and I had the satisfaction of doing so mysolf eeveral times. " Olympus " was qtito oorreot in his Btatemont as to the poornoss of the entries at the last Caledonian sports, and I have no doubt honestly advocated the inoreaso in the value of tho prizes as a means of attracting entries. Probably, howovor, he has had no porsonal experience of tho abuses which I have referred to. If his suggestion is carried out, he will find that the evils now existing will be inoreased, and will more than balance the advantages. His suggestion that the Caledonian Sooietv should have races for amateurs only as well as the open events, is a good one. I am, &0., J.WD. 25th October, 1888.